Move to Northern BC

[Sandy82]

Hi

I have just recently completed my degree in Psychiatric nursing and am currently employed as a RPN in the lower mainland. I am finding that working as a casual is very slow. I've been considering work up north. I'm born and raised in Vancouver, and am recently divorced so also looking for a change. I may have an opportunity to work in Dawson Creek and have done some research online and am getting mixed reviews. I was just wondering if there is anyone that has made a similar move and how there experience has been?

[M3BWN]

I think you can port your seniority between the health authorities? Might be beneficial to try the move if you have a job offer, you could always move back to the city after a year or so if you really don't like it? I moved out to alberta after living in a small bc town all my life.... its different, but at times its kind of nice to have a big change.

But then again, if you just recently started things might pick up for casual work. The more you work the higher you get on the seniority list and the more calls you will get. Perhaps in the summer it will get busier

[NotReady4PrimeTime, RN]

Casuals don't accrue seniority in Alberta. In BC casuals do, based on hours worked in a fiscal year (up to the full-time equivalent) but this only comes into play when the casual employee becomes a regular employee. My interpretation of this clause is that casual seniority doesn't count in obtaining a regular position but comes into play once the regular position is begun. The collective agreement for nurses covered by the Nurses' Bargaining Association (the majority of nurses employed by health regions in BC) has very specific and detailed information regarding casual employees, including how they're scheduled, how many hours they're required to work to maintain casual employment and a number of other areas.

[M3BWN]

Casuals really don't build seniority in Alberta? That kind of isn't nice... does that mean that it just depends on the scheduler as to who they call for shifts?

When I was in BC, before the LPNs moved to bcnu we would accrue seniority as casuals. And the list was updated quarterly and call outs were based off of the seniority list. So I don't know how it works now...

Anyways, sorry for the side-track Sandy! I wish you good luck with whatever you choose to do

[Fiona59]

Regarding the casual thing, I've seen it happen that when applying for a permanent line a casual isn't interviewed unless there are no permanent employees. Casual if hired into a permanent line have their start date (for seniority purposes) back dated to their original hire date. It can and does cause bad feelings. I know one nurse who worked casual for over 20 years (no shifts, no weekends, away all summer,never worked a Christmas, or other stat) who found a part time fte just as the casual hours started drying up. She jumped to the top of the unit seniority list for vacations, etc. The rest of the unit wasn't happy. So, she still doesn't work Christmas, gets first pick on the vacation roster.

In an ideal world the staffing office works by seniority but the reality is the flexible person gets the shifts. I had one staffing clerk tell me that she knew that I'd always pick up a Friday evening/night shift and I'd get called first. I didn't play the "let me call you back in an hour" game. I said yes or no.